A system and method for automatically coupling at least one of an air line or an electrical line of a tractor to a trailer that is configured to be pulled by the tractor. A moveable arm is mounted to the tractor and is configured to exhibit at least one degree of freedom (DOF) of motion relative to the tractor. The moveable arm carries at least one of an air line connector or an electrical connector. A trailer coupling head is mounted to the trailer and carries at least one of an air line connector or an electrical connector that are configured to be connected to the at least one of an air line connector or an electrical connector of the tractor. The trailer coupling head can be moved in at least a vertical DOF relative to the ground by the automatic coupling system.

A connecting system and a method for connecting a towing vehicle to a semitrailer includes a first plug unit configured to be fixed to a rotor of a semitrailer unit rotatably mounted on the semitrailer unit about an axis of rotation and having a first coupling portion, and a second plug unit having at least one mounting portion configured to be attached to a coupling plate of a commercial vehicle and a second coupling portion, wherein the first and second coupling portions are configured to be coupled together along a coupling axis such that the coupling axis is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation and spaced from the axis of rotation, and such that the first coupling portion is displaceable relative to the rotor and/or the second coupling portion is displaceable relative to the mounting portion along the coupling axis to engage or disengage the respective opposite coupling portion.

This invention provides a system and method for reliably interconnecting a native gladhand on a trailer with an AV truck, in which the gladhand can vary in placement and type on the trailer front. A visually guided robot manipulator arm accesses the trailer front. The arm includes an end effector assembly that is arranged to visually navigate to the gladhand and engage the gladhand by latching onto a gladhand using a connection tool that includes a hinged gladhand/wedge capture assembly and a pressurized clamping connection plate that selectively engages the trailer gladhand seal. The capture assembly is arranged to accommodate different gladhand geometries in latching thereonto. The connection tool includes a hinge that is spring-loaded in both a locked and unlocked bistable state, and sensors monitor the state. The system can include passive or active compliance elements that accommodate moderate misalignment between the engaged gladhand and the robotic arm/connection tool.

The technology relates to autonomous vehicles having hitched or towed trailers for transporting cargo and other items between locations. Aspects of the technology provide a smart hitch connection between the fifth-wheel of a tractor unit and the kingpin of a trailer. This avoids requiring a person to make physical pneumatic and electrical connections between the fifth-wheel and kingpin using external hoses and cables. Instead, the necessary connections are made internally, autonomously. For instance, the fifth-wheel may provide air pressure via one or more slots arranged on a connection surface, and the trailer is configured to receive the air pressure through one or more openings on a contact surface of the kingpin. An electrical connection section of the fifth-wheel may also provide electrical signals and/or power to an electrical contact interface of the kingpin. Rotational information about relative alignment of the trailer to the tractor unit may also be provided.

Method for coupling a tractor with a semi-trailer and semi-truck with a tractor and a semi-trailer.

Method for coupling a tractor with a semi-trailer and semi-truck with a tractor and a semi-trailer.

Systems and methods determines that a trailer being towed by an autonomous electric tractor has its brakes applied when a motor current value of a drive motor of the autonomous electric tractor reaches or exceeds a first current threshold. a recover handler initiates a set of actions to recover resolve the trailer brake problem. A trailer lift status indicating whether a landing gear of the trailer is off the ground and a lift metric indicative of a height of the landing gear off the ground are determined by a perception module using one or more of images, point clouds, and radar data that include the trailer.

Systems and methods determines that a trailer being towed by an autonomous electric tractor has its brakes applied when a motor current value of a drive motor of the autonomous electric tractor reaches or exceeds a first current threshold. a recover handler initiates a set of actions to recover resolve the trailer brake problem. A trailer lift status indicating whether a landing gear of the trailer is off the ground and a lift metric indicative of a height of the landing gear off the ground are determined by a perception module using one or more of images, point clouds, and radar data that include the trailer.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for determining and verifying operational states of fifth wheels. Certain methods for determining the operational state of the fifth wheel may include sensing, with at least one sensor, magnetic flux caused by a magnet on a movable component movable to lock the fifth wheel to a kingpin of a towed vehicle and determining an end position of the movable component based on the magnetic flux. The end position of the movable component is then compared to a threshold position and an operational state of the fifth wheel is determined based on the comparison of the end position of the movable component to the threshold position.

A device and method operated thereby may control a hydraulic pump to pump a hydraulic fluid into a chamber of a piston coupled to a fifth wheel of the tractor to raise the fifth wheel. The device, and method operated thereby, may sense, at intervals as the fifth wheel rises, a pressure value of the hydraulic fluid in the chamber. The device, and method operated thereby, may process the pressure values to determine when the landing gear is lifted off the ground.